iBreakup
by coiwy1
Summary: Sequel to 'iMake It Happen'. Sam and Freddie have been dating for a month, and Sam's finding that the spark has already gone from the relationship. But Freddie is still devoted to her, and she can't just dump him... can she?
1. iHave the Perfect Day

Carly grinned and held up a jug of suspiciously coloured liquid.  
>"I made some of my special lemonade!" she announced. Sam and Freddie looked up from the couch with slightly panicked expressions, pulling apart from each other.<br>"You made more?" Freddie said slowly. Carly nodded happily as Sam and Freddie exchanged glances.  
>"I'm... not really... thirsty..." Sam replied hesitantly. "Buuuut I'm sure Freddie would like some!" She smiled and patted him lightly on the cheek. Freddie's eyes widened.<br>"Uh, yeah, sure," he muttered. He raised his head and looked at the door, pretending he could hear something.  
>"Coming, mom!" he shouted, quickly jumping to his feet. He shot Carly an apologetic look before almost leaping out the door, pulling it shut behind him. He leaned against the wall and checked his watch. Five minutes should be long enough. He felt bad lying to Carly, but her lemonade was... Well, it was certainly different to most lemonade he'd tasted.<p>

Sam pouted and glanced at the now Freddie-less space on the couch next to her. With a sigh she leant back on the sofa and glanced at Carly, who was staring after Freddie with a raised eyebrow.  
>"Did you hear his mom calling?" she asked. Sam nodded.<br>"Oh yeah, you know what Crazy's like," she lied casually. "Didn't you?" Carly frowned and shook her head slowly.  
>"No..." she muttered, putting the lemonade down on the kitchen island. She shrugged.<br>"Give me a minute; I gotta go get something from my room." Sam waved a hand as Carly made her way up the stairs. Her eyes darted to the kitchen.  
>"Aww, man," she groaned. "Why can't Carly have her fridge within reaching distance of the couch?" She made a grabbing motion in the direction of the fridge before letting her arm flop back down into her lap. She tilted her head back.<br>"BENSON! BRING ME SOME FOOD!" she shouted. She paused but he didn't respond. She rolled her eyes and waited.  
>"...ah, ah, ah, need water!" Spencer cried, bursting out of his bedroom and sliding half-way across the floor. His eyes hit upon the jug of lemonade and he grabbed it, quickly pouring half the contents down his throat. Sam smirked and watched as his face paled. He glanced at her.<br>"Did Carly make lemonade?" he asked weakly. Sam nodded and he gagged.  
>"Then I will be going." He spun on his heel and dashed back to his room, slamming the door behind him. Sam winced at the sound of vomiting.<br>"Well, that's ruined my appetite," she muttered. Her eyes widened as she heard the door swing open behind her. She turned expectantly and was faced with Freddie holding a plate of ham. Her eyes lit up.  
>"For me?" she asked flirtatiously. He laughed and sank onto the couch next to her, holding the plate out.<br>"Who else?" he replied. She grinned and snatched the plate from him.  
>"Thanks," she said, pecking him on the lips. He nodded and slipped an arm around her shoulders as she got to work on the ham.<br>"You're lucky I'm not the jealous type," he noted. "Sometimes I think you love the ham more than you love me." Sam swallowed her mouthful and put the empty plate down on the coffee table before turning around to face Freddie.  
>"Don't worry, Fredbag," she whispered, leaning closer to him. "I don't do <em>this <em>with the ham." She pressed her lips onto his and he tightened his grip around her, holding her to him as they kissed.

Carly came down the stairs two at a time and paused as she found Sam and Freddie locked in a kiss on her couch. She coughed politely and they both looked at her.  
>"Having fun?" she asked with a smile. Sam smiled and put a hand on Freddie's cheek.<br>"Don't we always?" she replied. Carly laughed.  
>"Only every day for the past month," she said, sitting down on the other end of the couch. "I almost regret hooking you guys up." Freddie raised an eyebrow.<br>"Would you prefer us to go back to hating each other?" he asked with a grin.  
>"I can't help it if I feel a little left out," she muttered. Sam's face fell slightly.<br>"The Nathan thing?" she said quietly. Carly nodded and looked away. Freddie glanced between the two girls.  
>"What happened with Nathan?" he asked, concerned.<br>"We... broke up," Carly told him sadly. "We had a fight about... well, we had a fight, and he broke up with me." Freddie sighed.  
>"I thought you guys agreed on everything," he said, slightly confused. "What were you fighting about?"<br>"Don't worry about it," Carly groaned, waving a hand irritably. Freddie opened his mouth again but Sam elbowed him in the ribs and shook her head. His mouth shut again and the three sat in an awkward silence.  
>"Sorry," Carly said quietly. "I didn't mean to bring that up again." Sam waved a dismissive hand.<br>"You were too good for him anyway, cupcake," she assured her. "You should've let me beat him up." Carly shot her a disapproving look.  
>"You can't solve all problems with punching, Sam!" she said. Sam rolled her eyes.<br>"I would've kicked him too!"

Spencer burst out of his room for the second time that afternoon, waving a hand behind him.  
>"Fire extinguisher!" he shouted. Carly sighed and pointed to the wall bracket that held it. Spencer leapt across the room, grabbed the fire extinguisher, and vanished back through his door. Moments later he emerged again.<br>"It's empty!" he shouted. The three teens turned to look at him.  
>"How many times have you used it?" Freddie asked. Spencer counted rapidly under his breath.<br>"Only a few... hundred... I don't know!" He glanced back at his room. "This isn't the time for counting!" Freddie rolled his eyes and got to his feet, running out of Carly's apartment and into his own. He returned with a second fire extinguisher which he handed to Spencer. Spencer's eyes lit up and he raised the extinguisher like a weapon.  
>"Prepare to feel the wrath of Spencer Shay!" he announced dramatically, spraying wildly into his room. Carly leant back and tried to see inside his room.<br>"What's on fire?" she asked. There was a brief pause.  
>"My toilet!" came the reply. Carly shrugged and looked back at her friends.<br>"Groovy Smoothie?" she asked. Sam nodded and stood up.  
>"Freddie's paying," she said, putting her arms around his neck. "Giddy-up!" She jumped onto his back and he chuckled.<br>"Come on, Carly," he said, carrying Sam out of the apartment. Carly followed, pulling the door shut behind her.  
>"We're going out!" she called to Spencer.<br>"Bring me back a smoothie!" There was a pause. "And a new toilet!"

A few hours later, Sam and Freddie were on their own. Carly had gone back to make sure Spencer had a hot meal instead of just snack food, so Freddie offered to walk Sam home. She'd laughed and reminded him that the last time he 'walked her home', she'd ended up defending him from a mugger.  
>"Well yeah," he'd replied with a grin. "Why do you think I wanna stick with you?"<br>Before too long they were at Sam's house. Freddie looked at the dark windows and then at Sam.  
>"Is your mom home?" he asked. Sam shrugged.<br>"I doubt it. She's got a new boyfriend with HD."  
>"Do you have a key on you?" Sam snorted and pushed the unlocked door open, ushering him inside. He rolled his eyes.<br>"I should've guessed."

They whiled away the hours with pointless conversation, stopping only when Sam offered Freddie a meal which, naturally, he cooked and she ate. Before too long Sam was yawning, and despite her insistence that she wasn't tired, Freddie ended up carrying her through to her bedroom before dropping her unceremoniously on the bed.  
>"Hey!" she protested, rolling over to look up at him with a pout. He smirked.<br>"You would've done the same to me!" He laughed and sat down next to her as she pulled herself up into more of a sitting position.  
>"Come on, Freddie, get in the bed," she instructed. "I want someone to keep me warm." He raised an eyebrow and glanced at his watch.<br>"I can't stay, Sam, my mom'd go mental."  
>"More than usual?" They both laughed. There was no question of him not staying, but he always protested, because that was how it went. Sam stood up and winked at him.<br>"I'll be back," she said, heading for the door. "Make yourself comfortable." He nodded and pulled his shoes off, putting them under the bed before crawling under the covers and putting his hands behind his head to wait for Sam. She returned a few minutes later in a tight white tank top and a pair of boxer shorts. Freddie ran his eyes over her as she posed in the doorway. She jumped on the bed and straddled him, grabbing his shirt as she did so.  
>"My house, Benson, my rules," she said quietly. "No shirt." He rolled his eyes and allowed her to pull it off, throwing it onto the floor before slipping into the bed and cuddling up to him, resting her head on his bare chest. His arm snaked around her and came to rest on her bare thigh. She let out a breath as he began tracing small circles on her skin. She put an arm across his chest and smiled.<br>"You're really comfy, y'know," she murmured, closing her eyes. Freddie smiled as well and let his eyes flicker shut.  
>"I love you too, Sam," he replied.<p> 


	2. iHave Doubts

"...dnwna... stpdpza."  
>Freddie furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes still shut. Something tickled his skin.<br>"Wnatcstd." He slowly opened his eyes and looked down to find Sam mumbling into his chest. As he watched her, she opened her mouth a little and bit down lightly on his skin. Freddie winced.  
>"Stop eating me, Sam," he murmured, shaking her shoulder. She looked up through half-open eyes and pouted.<br>"Do I have to?" she muttered. He laughed quietly.  
>"What time is it?" she asked, yawning as she snuggled up to him. He glanced at the small clock beside her bed.<br>"Uh... it's about eight," he replied. She slapped his chest in mock anger.  
>"You woke me too early, nub," she said with a small smile. "Mama needs her beauty sleep." Freddie chuckled and kissed her nose.<br>"You're beautiful already," he whispered, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer to him.  
>"That's so cheesy."<br>"Yeah. Don't you just love it?"

Carly sighed as she opened her SplashFace page.  
><strong>Carly Shay is now single.<strong> Her eyes flicked down the array of concerned comments that had followed. All still without a response.  
><em>"I'm just saying, she could have asked."<em> Carly shook her head, trying to clear out the memory. Don't think of him like that, it was all so good...  
><em>"Nathan, it was just a slice of pizza..."<br>"She took it out of my hand! I was _literally_ just about to eat it."  
>"So what, you want me to buy you another pizza? Here, I've got money."<br>"Don't be like that, C. I just think she should ask before taking food from other people. If she'd said 'Hey, Nathan, can I have a slice?', I would have been _delighted_ to give her some, but no, _Sam_ doesn't ask, she just takes what she wants."  
>"Nathan, I think you're overreac-"<br>"Do you? Is it so unreasonable that I want your friends to treat me like a person instead of just a, a, a food dispenser?"  
>"That's just what she's like with people, it's not-"<br>"So I just have to put up with her, do I? Ever since we started dating, she's stolen from me, she's rude to me, she-"  
>"Oh, like your friends are so perfect! What, do you wanna start ripping on Freddie too?"<br>"Well he does tend to go on about his stupid tech stuff__..."  
>"Great. Anyone else you wanna insult? Spencer, maybe? Gibby?"<br>"They're holding you back, C. You shouldn't be hanging around with nubs like them."  
>"Um, 'nubs'? They're my best friends!<em>_"  
>"And I'm your boyfriend. I think I'm a little more important than some psycho with no respect for anyone but herself!"<br>"Sam's not a psycho!"  
>"Are you serious? I don't know how you can put up with her!"<br>"I happen to _like _her!"  
>"Man, you're just as crazy as she is..."<br>"Excuse me?"  
>"You heard me. Urgh, I don't know why I even bothered. You're not worth the company."<br>"Wha... Nathan, don't-"  
>"No, I'm done with you. Have fun with your psycho friends."<em>

"I'll see you later, yeah?" Freddie said, pecking Sam on the lips again. She nodded.  
>"Yeah, of course," she replied. <em>Just say something, Sam. You don't even have to come right out, just at least give him a hint. Put it out there.<br>_"Sam, are you ok?" Freddie asked, concern flooding his voice. His hand was on her shoulder.  
>"I'm just, ah..." she muttered. She flicked her gaze up and met his eyes.<br>_I can't do it.  
><em>"I'm fine." She smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Go on, let Crazy know that you're still alive." She watched him as he walked away from her house, blowing a kiss back to her. Of course. She closed the door and leant against it, letting out a slow breath.  
><em>You can't keep lying to him. He deserves the truth. You told him, right from the outset he's known, you've both known, it's gonna end. You told him we wouldn't last. It's not his fault, it's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault. Just... tell him. The longer you keep pretending, the harder it's gonna be to tell him.<br>_She kicked back at the door in frustration.  
><em>I didn't want this to happen. I <em>want_ to love him. Why don't I still love him?  
><em>She tilted her head back and rested it against the door. Of course she had to tell him, it wasn't fair to lie to him. He'd understand, wouldn't he? He knew there were risks in dating Sam Puckett.  
>"What do I do?" she shouted at her empty house. Her voice was swallowed up.<br>_How am I meant to deal with things like this? I'm 17! What do I know about love?  
><em>For the first time in a long while, Sam felt very alone. It wasn't just her mom being away, she was used to that. But she'd always been able to talk to her friends.  
><em>Carly?<br>I can't tell her. She's got enough pain in her own relationships. She doesn't want to hear about this as well.  
>Spencer?<br>He's... nice. That's not what I need right now.  
>Gibby?<br>No. Gibby is never the answer.  
><em>Sam banged her head back against the door. She couldn't believe she'd even considered talking to _Gibby_ about anything. What did he know? She just needed someone normal. Someone who wasn't biased, someone... _oh_.

"Carly!" Spencer shouted. The girl glanced up from the computer and looked around.  
>"What?" she shouted back.<br>"I am a_ god_!" Carly rolled her eyes and slid off her chair.  
>"No you're not, Spencer!" she told him. His door swung open to reveal the man himself, wearing nothing more than a T-shirt. Carly winced and looked away.<br>"You, uh... you forgot your pants," she muttered. Spencer glanced down, his eyes widening, and leapt out of view before re-emerging fully clothed. Carly looked back.  
>"What have you done this time?" she asked incredulously. "Is this some 'World of Warlords' thing?"<br>"Yeah, right," Spencer scoffed. He paused and looked at the floor. "Well, sorta, but that's not the point!" He emerged from his room and grabbed Carly's arm, dragging her back with him.  
>"Spencer, no!" she whined. "We have a deal - you can do what you want in your room as long as I don't have to go in there!"<br>"Aww, come on, kiddo!" he said. "You gotta see this!"  
>"I don't wanna!" Carly yanked her arm out of Spencer's grasp and folded her arms defiantly. Spencer sighed.<br>"Carly..."  
>"No!" Spencer shrugged and grabbed the brunette around the waist, lifting her over his shoulder and carrying her back through his door as she pounded on his back.<br>"Put me down!" she squealed. He carried her through to his bathroom and set her down in front of the toilet.  
>"Spencer, what-"<br>"Just look!" With a sigh, Carly followed his pointing finger and looked down into the toilet bowl.  
>"So?" she muttered. "It's just..." Her jaw dropped and she stood silently, staring down into the toilet.<br>"Cool, huh?" Spencer grinned, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her excitedly. Carly's eyes darted between the toilet and her brother.  
>"But... how did... Spencer, the <em>water<em> is _burning_!"  
>"I know!"<br>"_How_?"  
>"I... don't know!"<p>

Freddie whistled as he walked down the streets of Seattle. Life was good - he had a loving girlfriend (and it was _Sam_!), he was on top of all his work, and, oh yeah, _he was dating Sam_! He could still hardly believe it, but he was happy nonetheless. The only problem he faced now was Carly's recent breakup, but he knew she'd be over that before too long. Despite her over-emotional reactions to relationships, she did seem to recover remarkably quickly when they failed. His mind flashed back to when he'd dated her. The look on her face when he broke up with her was painful to remember, but within a week she was her usual, chirpy self. Still, he would have to be careful about what he said to her over the next few days. Don't make any mention of-  
>"Watch it!"<br>"Sorry." Freddie glanced up at the boy he'd walked into and his eyes widened slightly as he realised who it was.  
>"Nathan."<br>"Fredward." The two boys glared at each other. Nathan's mouth twisted into a cocky smirk.  
>"How's my ex surviving without me?" he asked. Freddie scowled.<br>"Better now that you're not around," he replied testily. Nathan raised an eyebrow.  
>"Oh really? Because she was pretty upset last time I saw her. Crying her eyes out over me." Freddie growled and balled his hands into fists.<br>"You're lucky she's such a forgiving person," he snarled. "She convinced Sam not to beat you up over it, but if it were up to me, you would've felt _pain_." Nathan laughed.  
>"Sam's a psycho bitch, Benson. She's not Wonder Woman." He pushed Freddie out of his way and carried on down the street, leaving Freddie to glare after him.<br>"You're real lucky, punk," Freddie muttered angrily, kicking at the sidewalk. He jammed his hands back into his pockets and continued back to Bushwell Plaza, his mood now dropped to sub-zero temperatures.


	3. iHave Something to Tell You

"I'm Carly!"  
>"No you're not, Sam."<br>"No I am not. I'm Sam!  
>"<em>I'm<em> Carly!"  
>"And this is iCarly!"<br>"The only fat-free webshow on the internet."  
>"Wait, what about Gibby?"<br>"Sam! Don't be so mean!"  
>The girls smiled and looked back at the camera.<br>"Now before we go on," Carly said, putting on a serious face. "We have news for you." Sam leant over and rested her chin on the brunette's shoulder.  
>"Biiig news," she agreed.<br>"Something that will change your life to hear it."  
>"It'll make you rethink your whole life philosophy."<br>"Well... probably not."  
>"Actually, not at all."<br>The girls looked away from each other and sighed simultaneously. Sam smirked and looked back the camera.  
>"Well, we're still gonna tell you!"<br>"We've got a new intern!" Freddie swung the camera around to the boy working behind him, who gave a small wave.  
>"Hi. I'm, uh, Brad," he said. Freddie tapped a button and Brad's name appeared on the screen. Freddie swung the camera back to the girls, who were both holding pieces of fudge.<br>"Yep," said Carly. "That's Brad the intern."  
>"He makes good fudge," Sam added, putting her piece in her mouth. Carly glanced at her.<br>"Sam," she hissed. "I've told you not to eat when we're filming!" Sam smirked and leant over to bite the piece Carly was holding. The girl rolled her eyes.  
>"Eww... We're gonna turn you over to Gibby while I try to get Sam's mouth off of my hand..."<p>

"Great show, guys," Freddie said, putting his camera down. Sam raised an eyebrow.  
>"Aren't they all?" she replied. Freddie grinned and slipped an arm around her, kissing her on the cheek. She smiled, glancing embarrassedly at Carly. The brunette was deliberately busying herself with something across the room.<br>"What did you think then, Brad?" said Gibby, pulling off his panda head. Brad glanced up.  
>"I think it went pretty well," he said. "I mean, it's my first time working on a webshow, but-"<br>"Dude, you did fine," Sam cut in. "Relax." Carly looked between Sam and Brad with a grin.  
>"Was that a compliment, Sam?" she said. "I think Freddie's made you safe for the general public!" Gibby let out a loud laugh, before stopping as he realised that no-one else was joining in. He looked away awkwardly.<br>"I thought it was funny," he muttered, walking out of the room. The others watched as he stopped outside the door, pulled his shirt off and continued down the stairs.  
>"There is something wrong with that guy," Freddie noted. Carly sighed.<br>"And Sam's made you mean," she said, slightly disappointed.  
>"Don't be so dramatic, Carls," Sam replied with a smirk. "What do you say we all go get some smoothies?" A smile crept across Carly's face.<br>"I do like smoothies..." She made her way out the door.  
>"Gibby, wait up!" she shouted as she went downstairs. "Smoothies!" Freddie watched her fondly before turning back to Sam and Brad.<br>"Come on, guys," he said. Brad made to follow, but Sam raised a finger.  
>"You go on ahead," she suggested. "I wanna just ask Brad something about that fudge recipe of his." Freddie nodded and left the room as well as Brad bent down to search his bag. Sam's eyes followed Freddie down the stairs.<br>"It's in here somewhere," Brad muttered. Sam put a hand on his shoulder.  
>"That was a lie, dude," she said gently. He turned around and raised an eyebrow.<br>"Just... sit down," she told him. "I need advice."

"Hey Spencer!" Freddie called. "Wanna come to the Groovy Smoothie?" Spencer poked his head out of his bedroom.  
>"Na, I'm kinda... busy, with... stuff." He grinned stupidly. Freddie raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.<br>"You, uh, have fun with that," he replied slowly, making his way out of the front door. "Hey Carly, Gibs, wait up!" Spencer shrugged and ducked back into his room.  
>"Okay, Mister Toilet," he said, squatting on the bathroom floor. "Let's see what secrets you're hiding." He leant over the bowl and peered down at the still crackling flames.<br>"How is this happening?" he wondered aloud, stroking his chin in what he hoped was an intelligent manner. "Water is bad for fire, but here, it isn't." He looked up meaningfully and posed for a few seconds.  
>"Man, that would have sounded a lot better if I wasn't just talking to myself."<p>

"So, yeah," Sam said, looking back up at Brad. "That's about it. I just... I mean I know I should say something, but he's so _nice_ all the time and I don't know how to break it to him. Like, before we got together, we were both avoiding each other, and Carly, and I don't wanna go back to that kind of situation." Brad nodded understandingly.  
>"But living a lie isn't going to make it easier to break off," he replied. "You gotta treat it like a band-aid - just do it quickly and the pain will go away before you know it. Sure, it won't be perfect, but a breakup never is, and the best you can hope for is that you both come out of it as friends." Sam's face fell slightly and she caught his eye.<br>"You say that like it's easy," she muttered. Brad sighed.  
>"It's not easy to do this to anyone, especially someone you care about. Even if you don't still have the same lust you did before, you obviously still care about his feelings, or you wouldn't have a problem telling him. You just have to think, Sam..." He put his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Breaking up with him now will be much easier for the both of you than dragging out a false relationship."<br>"I know, I know that, but I just... how do I even start to tell him?" Brad leant back a little. He hadn't expected this when he'd applied for the internship - he'd only ever seen Sam as a troublemaker, but he was starting to wonder if that was just her stage persona. He could hardly believe it was the same girl slouched in front of him, her eyes so... desperate.  
>"Ok," he said eventually. "Imagine I'm Freddie. This is the time - break up with me."<p>

"How long does it take to find a recipe?" Carly wondered aloud, glancing at her watch. Freddie shot her a look.  
>"What do you mean?" he asked. She looked away.<br>"I dunno, it's just... it's been a long time. And Sam's alone, with Brad. It's just... odd."  
>"Maybe she killed him," Gibby suggested nonchalantly, before sipping his smoothie again.<br>"Gibby!," Carly snapped. Gibby shrugged innocently.  
>"Just saying."<br>"Well don't, it's stupid!" Freddie growled irritably. Gibby raised his hands in front of his face and leant back.  
>"Woah, ok, don't bite my head off," he replied. Freddie growled and looked away. Carly frowned.<br>"Freddie, I didn't mean anything..."  
>"It is weird, though," he said, cutting her off. "Maybe I should go and see what's holding them up." He slid off his chair and made for the door.<br>"No, Freddie, I'm sure it's nothing..."

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" Brad asked, following Sam down the stairs. She nodded gently.  
>"Yeah, I think... yeah. I mean, you're right, of course, I know it's better to break it off before it goes to far. I should've done it before, but I just-"<br>"Sam," Brad said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She flinched. "Sorry. Just... don't stress out over it, yeah?" She nodded again.  
>"We'd better get down to the Groovy Smoothie," she replied, pulling open the door. They'd barely made it out of the apartment before they bumped into Freddie on his way up. His eyes widened and he glanced between them.<br>"Uh, hey," he said. "What's taking so long?" Sam and Brad glanced at each other briefly before quickly looking away.  
>"We were, uh, just..." Brad muttered.<br>"Making fudge!" Sam said. "Brad taught me how to make that fudge he always has. But you know what I'm like, slow learner, so it took a bit longer than we expected. Right, Brad?"  
>"Uh, yeah," he nodded in agreement. Freddie smiled.<br>"Fair enough," he replied. "I kinda... did you manage to get it then?"  
>"Pretty much," Sam said. "But I'm probably gonna leave the fudge making to him anyway, he's so good at it."<br>"I do like making fudge for people," Brad agreed with a grin. The three stood in an awkward silence.  
>"So, uh, we should probably get to the Groovy Smoothie," Sam said, breaking the silence. Freddie nodded.<br>"You guys go on, I've got stuff to do at home anyway," he said. He pecked Sam on the cheek. "See you later, Sam." She smiled weakly as he made his way to his apartment. As soon as he was out of sight, she groaned quietly and started off down the stairs. Brad followed.  
>"Sorry, I know, but it just wasn't the right time," she muttered to him. "I will do it, just... when I'm alone with him."<br>"Whenever you're comfortable," he replied with a smile. And despite the thoughts still flying around her head, she smiled back.


	4. iHaven't Had a Chance

Freddie pushed open the Shay's door and walked cautiously into the apartment.  
>"Hello?" he said loudly. "Sam? Carly?"<br>"Yo, Freddo!" Spencer's voice sounded out of his bedroom door, and Freddie nodded to himself.  
>"Hey Spencer," he called back, sitting down on the couch. "Where are the girls?" Spencer emerged from his room and shrugged.<br>"I think they're on their way," he answered. "Carly was saying something about wanting to get Sam some new clothes, but that was a few hours ago now. They should be back soon." Freddie nodded slowly, a smile flicking across his face.  
>"It's always nice to see her in new clothes," he murmured, leaning back. He glanced up at Spencer and frowned.<br>"And what's with the eggs?" he asked, nodding at the box Spencer was carrying. "And... whatever you've got in that glass..." His eyes widened slightly.  
>"Spence, are you taking-"<br>"Noooo, no, no," Spencer said quickly, cutting him off. "It's salt! It's just salt!"  
>"Um. Ok. Why?" Spencer glanced around conspiratorially and gently kicked the door shut as he leant closer to Freddie.<br>"I'm making fire," he whispered. Freddie raised an eyebrow.  
>"Have you tried using matches?" he asked slowly. Spencer rolled his eyes.<br>"I'm still working on it. You'll see." Freddie shrugged and glanced toward the kitchen.  
>"Sure thing. Do you know if there's any fudge left from yesterday?" Spencer frowned.<br>"Didn't you guys eat it all during the show?" he asked. Freddie nodded.  
>"Yeah, but Brad and Sam made some more when I went to the Groovy Smoothie with Carly and Gib." Spencer made a small noise and looked away.<br>"Spence?"  
>"I... don't think they did," he said slowly. "I mean, I was down here the whole time and they didn't go into the kitchen at any point. They just went straight out when they came down." Freddie looked down at his feet and kicked the floor.<br>"I'm sure it's nothing," Spencer added quickly. "There are plenty of good reasons why Sam and Brad would spend time together other than just making fudge. Like, um... planning... a surprise! A surprise party! They could've been planning your birthday!" Freddie growled.  
>"Well, seeing as my birthday was three months ago..."<br>"Yeah... look, Freddie, don't jump to a conclusion. Just... talk to her about it. Find out what's going on. Unless it _is_ a surprise party, in which case by no means must you find out what's going on!" Freddie glanced at him and rolled his eyes before lying back on the couch.  
>"Solid advice there, Spence. Thanks for that."<p>

"Spencer, we're back!" The boys both turned around at the sound of Carly's voice.  
>"I still think it looks stupid on me," Sam muttered, following her friend through the door. Freddie smiled again and he stood up.<br>"Hey Sam!" he said, planting a kiss on her cheek. Sam flinched slightly before smiling back.  
>"Uh, hey, Freddie," she replied quietly. "Can I, uh... can I talk to you? In private?" Freddie frowned and slipped an arm around her.<br>"What's wrong?" he asked gently. Sam opened her mouth.  
>"Can it wait, guys?" Carly cut in. "We need to practice for next week's iCarly." Freddie shot a questioning glance at Sam, who sighed and shrugged in defeat. Carly smiled.<br>"Gibby and Brad are on their way up now," she continued brightly, grabbing Sam and Freddie by the hand. "Come on, let's get things set up!" The pair exchanged a glance as Carly dragged them up the stairs.  
>'She's been like this all day!' Sam mouthed, rolling her eyes. Freddie laughed softly.<p>

Gibby pushed open the door to the Bushwell Plaza lobby and strode in, Brad following behind him. Lewbert glanced up from his desk and glared at the boys.  
>"You'd better not mess up my lobby again, fat boy!" he growled. Gibby chuckled and waved.<br>"Right back at ya, Lewb," he replied, making his way to the elevator. Brad hurried in behind him, glancing briefly at the angry Lewbert before looking away again. The doors of the elevator opened and the two boys walked in.  
>"That doorman is really weird," Brad muttered as the doors slid shut. Gibby grinned.<br>"He's all talk," he replied. "Just ignore him and he won't be a problem." Brad nodded. Gibby leant against the wall and crossed his arms.  
>"So. What's going on with you and Sam?" he asked. Brad coughed nervously.<br>"Uh, nothing," he muttered. Gibby raised an eyebrow.  
>"Well, I mean, she wanted to learn that fudge recipe I use, you know, because she really liked the fudge..."<br>"It is good fudge," Gibby agreed.  
>"But, uh, that's all. Nothing's going on. What would be going on? Nothing's going on!" Gibby smirked.<br>"So how long have you guys been getting it on behind Freddie's back?"  
>"Gibby, we- you're crazy, Gibby." The doors opened in the iCarly studio and Gibby strolled out with another grin back at Brad. Carly waved as Brad emerged as well.<br>"Hey, guys, you're just in time!" she said with a smile. She spun around to look at Sam and Freddie, who were sat together on the other side of the room. "Hey, lovebirds! Come on!" Brad caught Sam's eye as she stood up and raised an eyebrow. She shook her head slightly and glanced at the others to check they weren't looking at her.  
>'Soon,' she mouthed.<p>

"Ok, so at this point we'll see how many snails Gibby can have on his face without panicking," Carly said, running her eyes down the list. Gibby's eyes widened.  
>"Wait, you're doing what?" he gasped. Sam smirked and patted him on the shoulder.<br>"Sorry, Gib," she laughed. "But it's either that, or we lock you in a box full of cats."  
>"<em>How<em> did this become the choice? Carly!" he moaned. Carly shrugged innocently.  
>"I was voted down," she protested. Gibby rolled his eyes and lay down, rubbing a hand over his face.<br>"Fine," he replied. "But I'm only gonna do it on the actual show. I'm not doing it in rehersal."  
>"Ok then," Carly continued with a quick smile at him. "When we're done with that... Brad, did you say you could get us some-" She was cut off by the sound of screaming from downstairs.<br>"What's that?" Freddie asked, standing up quickly. Carly and Sam exchanged glances.  
>"Spencer!" they shouted in unison.<p>

By the time the group reached Spencer, he was sprawled out on the floor and soaking wet.  
>"Spencer!" Carly screamed, dropping to her knees next to him. He groaned slightly and his eyes flickered.<br>"Whuh... fthgt..." he murmured. Carly looked back at her friends, her eyes tearing up.  
>"Do something!" she said desperately.<br>"I'll, uh, go get my mom," Freddie replied, quickly making his way out of the door. Gibby tilted his head toward Spencer's room and Brad followed him in. Sam dropped to the floor next to Carly and slipped an arm around her.  
>"Hey, Carls, don't worry," she whispered. "Spencer's always getting into accidents. He'll be fine."<br>"What if he's not?" Carly replied quietly. "I don't even know what's happened to him, and how are we gonna help him if we-?"  
>"Shh," Sam cut her off, gently rubbing her back. Carly whimpered and buried her head in Sam's shoulder, resting her weight on the blonde, as Mrs. Benson came running into the apartment.<br>"Move back!" she ordered, crouching next to Spencer as well. Sam pulled Carly to her feet and led her to the couch. Gibby emerged from Spencer's room.  
>"His bathroom's just... ruined," he commented. "The whole room's been blackened, and there's water all over the floor." Freddie raised an eyebrow but Gibby simply shrugged.<br>"Has anyone called for an ambulance?" Mrs. Benson asked. The boys shook their heads.  
>"Well, someone get a phone!" she said.<br>"On it!" called Brad from inside Spencer's room. Freddie breathed out and sat down next to Sam and Carly. He put a hand on Carly's trembling shoulder.  
>"It's gonna be fine, Carly," he told her. "Spencer's gonna be fine." He shut his mouth before the word 'probably' could slip out.<p> 


	5. iHave a Chance

Sam and Freddie looked up expectantly as Carly came walking back down the hallway, wiping her red eyes with a scrap of tissue. Freddie shuffled over and allowed the brunette to take a seat between them. She was breathing heavily. Sam put an arm around her shoulders.  
>"What did they say?" she asked gently. Carly glanced between her friends and took a deep breath.<br>"The doctors... they think he's gonna be ok," she said slowly. Freddie sighed in relief and let a smile creep across his face.  
>"They won't be sure until he wakes up, though," she continued. "But they said from what they can tell, it's unlikely to be serious." Sam squeezed her shoulder comfortingly and smiled as well.<br>"You see, Carls?" she said. "Spencer's gonna be fine."  
>"Did anyone find out what actually happened to him?" Freddie wondered. Carly shrugged.<br>"They think it was something to do with that... that stupid fire thing he was working on." Sam raised an eyebrow and shot a questioning glance at Freddie. He returned a clueless look.  
>"He mentioned something to me about making fire but he didn't want to say much about it," Freddie explained. He frowned. That wasn't all Spencer had mentioned... He looked away from the girls as his mind flashed back. He'd almost forgotten, what with the iCarly rehearsals and Spencer's accident, but now he was worried again. Not that he thought it likely. Sure, Sam had been nice to Brad, but she <em>was<em> a nice girl. He wouldn't be dating her if she wasn't a nice person. Well, she usually was. Well, she could be nice when she wanted to. And she had no reason _not _to be nice to Brad - after all, he was a part of the team, it made sense for her to get on with him. On the other hand, she'd always been slightly cold toward Gibby. And if Spencer was right, she'd lied to him about spending time with Brad. That was the worst part. If he'd found out they'd just been talking, or whatever, that was fine, but if she felt the need to cover it up then it couldn't be something he'd like to hear about. He rubbed his forehead and tried to put it out of his mind. Carly needed comfort. Focus on that.

Spencer was nowhere. He was alone with the pain... wait, what pain? He knew he was in pain - he had to be after what he'd been through - but it didn't actually hurt. It was just a presence that he was aware of. Huh. Odd. A fire burned in front of him. He watched it steadily, wondering how it would feel to put his hand inside. ...well, no time like the present. His hand went through the fire like a duck through water, and he flapped his wings experimentally. No, wait, taking that one too far. Speaking of which, what had happened to the fire? He was sure it'd been there, right in front of him, but now there was just an empty space. What was missing from there? It was just a space. Spencer frowned to himself and watched the ground intensely in case it produced an explanation. Eventually he was greeted with a pair of shoes. His eyes ran up from the shoes to find a brown haired boy standing before him.  
>"Yep," the boy nodded with a small grin.<br>"Oh yeah, the guy that makes all the awesome fudge!" Spencer exclaimed.  
>"Uh, I'm Brad," the boy replied. Spencer frowned again.<br>"Don't I know you from someplace?" Spencer rubbed a hand across his face. There was definitely something wrong with that exchange, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He looked up at Brad again.  
>At who?<br>There was no-one else around. Who did he expect?

"Carly Shay?" Carly jerked her head up off of Sam's shoulder and opened her eyes. Her gaze fixed on a smiling nurse.  
>"Yeah?" she called out slightly too loud. She caught the nurse's eye.<br>"I need to talk to you about your brother," the nurse said, walking closer and holding out a friendly hand. She glanced at Sam and Freddie with a small frown.  
>"I'm afraid your friends are gonna have to leave, though," she continued. "You have family privileges, but with the hospital as it as at this time we can't allow them to hang around." Sam stood up quickly and glared at the nurse.<br>"Why?" she snapped. Carly sighed and stood up as well, grabbing Sam's arm as she did.  
>"Don't start a fight," she muttered. "I'll call you guys later. Just... I'll see you." Sam's face fell slightly but she nodded and turned to Freddie as the nurse led Carly back down the hall.<br>"Come on then, Benson," she said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Wake up." Freddie blinked and looked up.  
>"Do what now?" he said quickly. Sam smiled and waved a hand behind her.<br>"Try to stay in the real world, Freddie," she laughed. "We're outta here." Freddie glanced down the hall after Carly before turning back to Sam.  
>"Now?"<br>"Yes, now," Sam replied, rolling her eyes as she grabbed his arm. "Come on!"

The two walked together in silence down the dark Seattle streets. Every so often they glanced at each other and their eyes met, but they both seemed reluctant to start conversation. They agreed wordlessly to make their way to Sam's house, despite Mrs. Benson's annoyed texts coming through every few minutes on Freddie's PearPhone. Eventually one came through to Sam's phone.  
><strong>Give me back my son, Samantha!<strong>_  
><em>Sam read it and her heart twinged. She'd been so focused on Carly that she'd almost forgotten her plan.  
><em>Tonight? Really? Shouldn't I wait until Spencer's better?<br>_Of course she knew she shouldn't. If she let herself find reasons to put it off then she'd never do it. She had an opportunity, she had to take it. No matter how bad she may feel now, it was for the best. She could do this, she knew she could. She had a speech prepared in her mind. And it was Freddie. He'd understand. He was good at understanding things. She shot another glance at him. His head was down and he was kicking at the ground with every other step he took. She felt there was something on his mind.  
><em>Shouldn't I look into that first?<br>_Another excuse. No. It would be tonight. They were nearly back at her house already. She let out a slow breath.  
><em>You know what to say, Sam, <em>she told herself. _Just say it._

Carly watched her brother as he lay quietly in the bed, her eyes fixed on his chest. The doctors had assured her that his condition was stable, but his chest barely moved when he breathed and she couldn't shake the panic. Every so often she leant over him to check he was still breathing - he was, of course, she was worrying for nothing. But that was fine. It's what she was there for, after all. She slumped back slightly in her chair and sighed. She could have left, sure, she knew he was stable. Sam and Freddie would have happily spent the evening looking after her and keeping her happy. Ever since the pair had started dating, Freddie's cooking had drastically improved to accommodate Sam's appetite, and Carly thought fondly of some of the meals he'd prepared for the three of them. Her stomach growled and she glanced at Spencer. Maybe she should go and get some food for herself. After all, starving herself wasn't going to help him recover. She stood up and made for the door.  
><em>Say what?<br>_To her surprise, she found a tall boy watching her from the doorway. Her eyes narrowed as he noticed her standing and leapt back slightly.  
>"Who are you?" she snapped. The boy ran his eyes over her and narrowed his eyes as well.<br>"Megan?" he asked. Carly paused, slightly thrown by the question.  
>"Uh... no," she replied. The boy raised an eyebrow.<br>"You don't know a Megan, do you? Like, your twin sister or something?" Carly walked out into the hallway and the boy backed away a little.  
>"You're a very strange person, you know," she noted. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.<br>"Sorry," he said slowly. "I was just... you look like a girl I used to know. Well, a girl I used to _date_, actually. It was just a little... but actually, now you're out in this light..." His eyes ran over her body again and he smiled.  
>"No, you're much better looking than she was," he said. Carly couldn't stop a smile from forming on her face as well. The boy held out a hand.<br>"I'm Steven, by the way. Steven Carson."

Freddie flopped down on the couch and looked at Sam. She hovered nervously, glancing at him before looking away.  
>"What's up with you, Sam?" he asked. "You're really not yourself." She glanced at him again and let out a small sigh.<br>"Yeah," she agreed, sitting next to him. Freddie turned slightly to look at her.  
><em>Come on, Sam. Say it!<br>_"Freddie," she began slowly. "You know I think you're amazing, don't you? You... well, you _are_ an amazing person. You're pretty much the perfect guy, for anyone." She swallowed as he raised an eyebrow.  
><em>You know what to say, Sam. You've prepared this.<br>_"The thing is, Freddie..." She faltered again. She did know what to say, she'd prepared. But she couldn't remember it. She'd lost her place.  
>"Sam, are you..."<br>"Shh," she said gently. "Do you remember, last month, Carly locked us in her elevator? We talked about... about dating. And I said that we'd end up breaking up and just losing the friendship?"  
><em>Don't say that!<br>_"I mean... urgh. What I'm trying to say is... well, as great as you are, as lovely, and kind, and... just everything you are... I can't keep this up, Freddie. I really wish I could. I would love to be able to date you without having this hanging over me, but... I just can't. I like you, I really do, but it's just not right. Me and you. As much as I want it to be right, I just don't feel the same way as I did last month. I..." She swallowed again and shut her mouth. Freddie's gaze had drifted slightly away from her face, and his eyes were blank.  
>"Okay." His voice was almost emotionless. She'd expected some kind of resistance, some argument, but there was nothing. Just an 'okay'. No anger, no protests, no reaction beyond those one word. Slowly, almost without Sam noticing, he stood up. She wanted to stop him. She wanted to talk to him. She didn't want that to be the end. He couldn't leave it at 'okay'. But he did. By the time Sam stood up, the door was shut and Freddie was long gone. She'd expected anger.<br>"Okay."  
>She felt like she'd been punched.<p> 


	6. iHave an Argument

"And then _Freddie_ stood up as well - he'd been behind the couch the whole time - and he said "I'd go with the red", and she was _furious_!" Carly burst out laughing again as she finished her story, and Steven shook his head in disbelief.  
>"I can't believe she hadn't noticed him there," he laughed. His face fell at the sound of music from his pocket. He pulled his phone out and his eyebrows shot up.<br>"Ooh. I gotta take this. Go get a couple of smoothies, I'll be there in a minute," he said, before quickly pressing the phone to his ear and walking away. Carly nodded and pushed open the door of the Groovy Smoothie, still laughing quietly. She couldn't believe she'd only known Steven for two days. Then again, they _had _spent most of that time together at the hospital waiting for Spencer to wake up. But still, she felt like she already knew him better than any of the other boys she'd dated.  
>"Woah, hold up there, Carly!" Carly snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of T-Bo's words. She raised a questioning eyebrow as he glanced across the room and then back at her.<br>"What's the problem?" she asked. He bent down and lowered his voice.  
>"What's the deal with your friends?" he asked. "Freddie was in here yesterday and he didn't even order a smoothie or nothing. Now Sam's spent the day, and she keeps throwing things at me if I ask about him!" Carly frowned and peered around T-Bo. Sam was slumped in a chair by the wall holding a smoothie in front of her.<br>"I have no idea..." she replied slowly. "But I'm gonna find out." She pushed gently past T-Bo and made her way over to where the blonde was sat.  
>"Hey Sam!" she said brightly. Sam raised a lazy hand in response. Carly rolled her eyes and slipped into the chair opposite.<br>"Are you ok?" she asked. Sam snorted.  
>"Course," she said. Carly watched her for a moment and shook her head.<br>"There's a half-eaten sandwich on the table, Sam. What's wrong?" Sam glanced down at the remains of the sandwich and groaned.  
>"It's nothing, Carls," she muttered. "You'd just worry yourself." Carly leant forward as Sam's voice became almost too quiet to hear. Her eyes narrowed.<br>"What happened?" she replied. Sam shifted uncomfortably.  
>"Me and Freddie kinda... broke up," she muttered, beginning to stand up. "Look, I gotta-" Carly's hand shot across the table and grabbed Sam's arm.<br>"Oh no," the brunette said firmly. "You can't just leave it at that. I wanna know why you broke off the best thing that ever happened to you." Sam groaned and slumped back into her seat again.  
>"It wasn't working out," she said. "We just weren't... he's a nice guy, Carls, and he's a great friend, but that's all he is. A friend." Carly sighed and leant back, crossing her arms.<br>"You don't know how lucky you were," she murmured under her breath. It was Sam's turn to narrow her eyes as she sat up straight.  
>"Excuse me?" The blonde glared across the table. "What's that supposed to mean?" Carly rolled her eyes and groaned.<br>"I'm just saying, you're not the easiest person to get on with. You shouldn't just drop a guy like Freddie because you get bored of him."  
>"Bit rich coming from you, little Miss You-Saved-My-Life," Sam shot back. Carly's eyes widened.<br>"That was different!" she replied hastily. "For one thing, _he _broke up with _me_. And he was right, wasn't he? I liked him for what he'd done. Not for who he was." Sam rested her arms on the table and leaned toward the brunette.  
>"Never made that clear though, did you?" she said quietly. "No, you just left him to pine after you, hoping you'd come back to him. And if you needed a favour at any point, well, he was always happy to help. Just in case it'd win you over."<br>"Yeah, you're one to talk about being nice to Freddie," Carly snapped, raising her voice. "You've been _so_ nice to him since you met."  
>"I've matured since then. We both have. It's only you who's never stopped being a child."<br>"_I'm_ still a child? I'm not the one who can't go three minutes without whining about how hungry I am. _I'm_ not the one who treats my boyfriend like a _waiter_ because I can't be bothered to get my own food!" Sam's nostrils flared.  
>"Of course you don't. That'd be humanising them too much. <em>You<em> just treat your boyfriends like a pair of walking lips! Do you even _think _about them after you break up? It hasn't even been a week since you broke up with the latest 'love of your life', and you're already going out with _him._" She jabbed a finger in the direction of Steven, who was watching across the shop with a look of confusion on his face. Carly paused and she blinked furiously as she felt a tear forming in her eye.  
>"Do you know <em>why<em> we broke up?" Carly hissed. "It was because of you. I lost someone that made me happy because _you_ don't have the decency to be nice to anyone!" Sam let out a growl as she got to her feet.  
>"Well <em>excuse me<em> for not taking to every idiot you lay eyes on. I've only been protecting you for the last nine years. That's nothing compared to some guy you made out with on the way home!"  
>"Maybe if you tried <em>talking <em>to them instead of just throwing things at them, you'd realise that they're nice people!"  
>"And what about all those chizheads I've scared off for you, huh? Were they really just nice people I should've talked to?"<br>"I can take care of myself!" Carly shouted. "Just because you need someone around to keep everyone from hating you, it doesn't mean I do! How many friends do you think you'd have if I didn't vouch for you?"  
>"Yeah, I'm <em>so <em>glad you've introduced me to such wonderful people. I don't know _how_ I'd get by if I didn't know people like Germy and Gibby!"  
>"Got a little sarcasm on your lips there, Puckett."<br>"Better than having some moron kissing them every few minutes."  
>"At least I can limit myself to one boy at a time!"<br>"_What_?"  
>"I'm not stupid, Sam. I've seen the way you are with Brad. I just thought you'd keep out of his pants while you were still with Freddie."<br>"Too. Far."  
>The girls stood glaring at each other across the table, both of them breathing heavily. The rest of the shop watched in silence.<br>"I really don't want to have to hit you," Sam said, trying to keep her voice calm. "But you're pushing it. Breaking up with Freddie was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it was the right thing to do, and I'm not gonna sit here while you lecture me about how wrong I am and how great you are. So you just run along with your latest pair of lips, and if you feel like apologising when he drops you, you know where to find me." Carly shot her a look of disgust as the blonde sank back into her chair.  
>"Don't come crying to me when you find yourself alone," she replied venomously. She turned away and walked out of the Groovy Smoothie without another look back, grabbing Steven's arm on her way out. Sam watched her until she was out of sight, at which point she let her head sink forward and she let out a slow breath.<br>_I'm right,_ she told herself angrily. _She just can't bear to be wrong. But I know I'm right. It's for the best. Especially for Freddie.  
>'Keep out of Brad's pants'? This is nothing to do with Brad.<br>She's an idiot._

Carly walked down the hospital corridor, still grumbling to herself, as Steven followed behind her.  
>"She's an idiot," she growled out loud. Steven winced and caught up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder as he did so.<br>"Maybe," he said neutrally. "But just forget about that for now. Give it some time, and I'm sure you guys will be back to being friends in no time."  
>"I don't wanna be friends with her!" Carly snapped. "She was so... <em>perfect<em> with Freddie. He was happy, she was happy. Now she's just gone and ruined everything!" She stopped suddenly as they reached Spencer's room. She took a short breath before looking at Steven.  
>"Look, I'm gonna sit with Spencer for a while," she said, slightly calmer. "You go and see how your dad's doing. I'll catch you later." Steven frowned.<br>"Are you gonna be ok?" he asked. Carly nodded.  
>"I just want some time to calm down," she said. Steven smiled and kissed her on the cheek.<br>"Say hi to Spencer for me," he said. She smiled back as he turned and walked down the corridor. After a moment she slipped into Spencer's room and took a seat next to him.  
>"Hey, Spencer," she said quietly. He didn't move. "Sorry I was gone so long. Me and Steven were just gonna grab a bite, but then there was a sale on, and... well, you know how it is." She sighed. "Sam's being an idiot. She broke up with Freddie the other day, and I don't think he's taking it well. I mean, T-Bo said he'd been sitting on his own in the Groovy Smoothie yesterday, and you know he's usually hanging out with his physics club on Thursday afternoons... But of course <em>Sam <em>won't admit that she's in the wrong, so that's just another thing on my list. Not only do I have to look after my injured brother, I've gotta sort out my stupid friend's stupid relationships as well. And Gibby's been going on about this guy he met on the internet, and he's trying to get me to take him to New York to meet him - seriously, _New York_? It's just all getting too much." She glanced at Spencer again, but he made no response.  
>"It's been great having Steven around," she continued. "But he's going to LA on Monday, so then I'm just gonna be on my own taking care of everyone else's damn problems. As usual." She groaned and leant back on her chair.<p> 


	7. iHave a Phone Call

"You don't have to be afraid to put your dream in action, you're never gonna fade, you'll be the main_-_"  
>Gibby picked up his phone and put it to his ear.<br>"Gibbay," he announced.  
>"<em>Hey, Gibby. It's Brad.<em>"  
>"What's cookin'?"<br>"_I was just wondering, do you know what's going on with the webshow this week? I've tried everyone else but I haven't had a response._"  
>"Oh, show's off this week. Carly and Sam had an argument."<br>"_...about what?_"  
>"Carly didn't tell me, but she sounded pretty pissed about the whole thing."<br>_"Oh._"  
>"Anything else?"<br>"_Uh, no. That's all._"  
>"Mmkay. Gibby out."<p>

"_You've reached Freddie. I can't take your call at the moment, but whenever I can I'll get back to you. Just leave me a message after the beep._"  
><em>Beep.<em>  
>"Hey, Fredward, it's Sam. I just thought I'd check up and see how you were doing after... well, after what happened the other day. I know you said it was fine and everything, but you haven't replied to any of my texts and I'm getting kinda worried. ... Have you spoken to Carly? Because, you know, if she says anything about me, you should probably ignore it. You know how she gets when things don't go her way. ... Please call back."<p>

_"Hey. If you're getting this then I'm probably busy with something else. Just leave your message and I'll call you back later._"_  
>Beep.<br>_"Hi, Steven. It's Carly. Did you get to LA ok? And more importantly, come back here! I miss having you around. Gibby can't keep me entertained forever, you know! Call me soon. Love you!"

"_Gibbay."  
><em>"Hello, is this Charles Gibson?"  
>"<em>Uh... yeah.<em>"  
>"This is Seattle Public Library."<br>_"Oh."_  
>"Mister Gibson, your copy of 'Boogie Bear 2' is now two months overdue. We must insist that-"<br>_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep..._


	8. iHave a Talk With Freddie

_I'm not lonely,_ Sam told herself. _I'm concerned. I mean yeah, it would be great to have someone to hang around with, but that's not why I'm here. I'm just concerned about my friend. He is my friend. Just a friend.  
><em>She stopped at apartment 8=D and took a deep breath.  
><em>Come on, Sam, it's just Freddie. We fight, we make up. We've got a system.<br>It wasn't really a fight, though. Fights are easy.  
>Just talk to the boy.<br>_She raised her hand and knocked hard on the door three times. The sound seemed invasive in the ensuing silence. Usually there were sounds from the rooms across the hall, but with Spencer in the hospital there was nothing. Sam swallowed and pressed her ear to Freddie's door. Nothing. With a sigh she turned back and made her way to the stairs, jamming her hands back in her pockets. She should've expected it, really. He had no reason to talk to her. They were only even friends because they both liked Carly, and now... well, things had changed. She reached the stairs and paused. Freddie was trudging up toward her. His head was down and he hadn't noticed her yet. She swallowed again and forced a smile onto her face.  
>"Hey!" she called brightly. Freddie glanced up and his eyes passed over her. No reply, no recognition, nothing. He reached the top of the stairs and tried to step around her, but she put a hand against the wall and blocked him.<br>"'Scuse me," he muttered. His voice was quiet, and sounded almost tired. More notably, there was no hint of emotion. No fear, no anger, not even a lingering hint of affection. It was too much.  
>"No," she replied bluntly. It was a clear challenge. He could never resist a challenge, especially from her. A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face.<br>"Please move," he said wearily. She shook her head.  
>"Make me." It was childish, sure, but she wanted a reaction. She <em>needed<em> a reaction. She'd built a whole relationship with him around arguments, and if he'd moved on from that then she had nothing to work with. For a moment his eyes flashed and she thought he might be back to his usual self, but instead he simply said "Ok." and turned away.  
><em>'Ok'? Again?<br>_Almost without thinking, her hand shot out and grabbed his arm. She pulled him back and tried to catch his eye.  
>"Don't do this to me, Freddie," she said. "You can't just say 'ok' and let that be it. Just... say something. Be you." The muscles in his arm tensed and she let go of him. His expression hardened.<br>"'Be me'?" he repeated slowly. "What do you want me to do, Puckett? Isn't it enough for you to break my heart without drawing me into another stupid little argument as well?" Sam's mouth twitched.  
>"Don't be so dramatic, Fredward," she replied. "People break up all the time."<br>"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," he said. "But that's not your problem. _You_ don't care how people feel." Sam's eyes widened.  
>"I do!" she protested. "Breaking up with you was the hardest thing I've done in my life!"<br>"Then why did you_?_"  
>"Because it's better than living a lie." Freddie glared at her.<br>"At least be honest with me," he growled. "After everything you've put me through, you owe me that. Just this once, be honest." Sam swallowed.  
>"I've told you the truth. I love you, Freddie, but not as a boyfriend. I thought I did, but that's just not what you are to me. I can't pretend otherwise." She watched him warily. His eyes narrowed.<br>"Right. If you're sticking by that, then... fine. Fine." Her throat tightened as he continued to glare at her.  
>"Freddie, I'm... sorry," she muttered. He shook his head.<br>"It's too late, Sam," he replied coldly. He pushed past her and disappeared into his apartment, slamming the door shut behind him. She hung her head.  
><em>Now <em>that _was the fight._

Carly jerked awake at the sound of a beeping from her phone. She picked it up and smiled at the sight of Steven's name.  
><strong>Hey, beautiful. Sorry I haven't called, I've been really busy. LA is as busy as ever, although it has nothing on Seattle because you're not here. How's everything going? I'll try to call you tomorrow. Love you xx<br>**Carly's smile widened and she quickly tapped out a reply.  
><strong>Don't worry bout it, have fun. Spencer's still out but all ok. ly x<br>**She glanced over at her brother. He'd been moving around, but the doctors said it was normal and didn't necessarily mean anything. Still, Carly was holding out hope that it was progress. It just wasn't the same without Spencer around.  
>"Just wake up," she muttered sadly. Almost on cue, Spencer shifted in his bed. Carly leaned over and smiled at him.<br>"Come on, Spencer. It's time to get up." She watched him, but there was no further change and eventually she sat back, slightly dejected.

Sam emerged from the Bushwell Plaza lobby into the cool night air. She held her phone in one hand, her thumb hovering over the call button. Her eyes ran over the screen.  
><strong>Carly Shay. Call?<br>**It couldn't hurt. Fight and make up. It worked. Or at least, it had always worked before. She took a breath and her thumb touched the button.  
>She cancelled the call.<p> 


	9. iHave a Dream

"Freddie!"  
>Freddie raised his head and blinked. His mother's voice rang through his head.<br>"Freddie!"  
>The shout came again. He eased himself up into a sitting position and glanced out of his bedroom window. The sun was almost gone now, and the city was bathed in a dull red glow. Huh. He'd been asleep longer than he'd meant to. He stood up and stretched.<br>"Yeah?" he called back. In a moment, his door opened and his mom poked her head in.  
>"Freddie, I'm going out for my biweekly check-up. Are you sure you don't need one?"<br>"No, mom, I'm fine," he replied wearily. She frowned and stepped fully into the room.  
>"Are you sure, Freddikins? Because you don't look very well to me. I think you should come, just in case." Freddie shook his head.<br>"Really, mom, I'm perfectly healthy. I'm just kinda... y'know. The whole Sam thing." Marissa's face hardened at the mention of Sam's name.  
>"It's better for everyone that you two stopped seeing each other," she said firmly. "That girl is a bad influence and she's brought you nothing but trouble since you met. I honestly don't know why you like her."<br>"I can't explain it," Freddie replied despondently. "There's just something about her that's... but look, don't worry. It's... it's all over now." He slumped back onto his bed with a sigh. Marissa sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulders.  
>"Don't worry, Freddie," she said. "Soon you'll meet a lovely girl, and everything will work out for you. Who could resist a handsome boy like you?" She smiled and Freddie laughed weakly.<br>"I guess," he replied. His mom smiled again and stood up.  
>"Will you be ok here on your own?" she asked. Freddie nodded.<br>"Sure. Don't worry about me."

Spencer brushed his hair with one hand before knocking nervously on the door. Further down the alley he could hear a group of drunk teenagers arguing loudly as they made their way back to their various homes, but they were far away enough for him to ignore them. Something ran over his foot and he winced, peering down and trying to spot it. He flinched again and turned at the sound of rattling from the nearby bin.  
>"It's ok, Spencer," he told himself quietly. "It's just a, a rat, or something. Nothing to be scared of. It's just a rat..."<br>"Spencer!" The door swung open and he jumped, turning back to find a slim young woman leaning against the door frame. Instantly his face broke into a smile.  
>"Hey, Veronica," he said. "I told you I'd be dropping by this evening."<br>Veronica smiled and stood aside, allowing him to come inside. She shut the door behind him.  
>"So, Spencer," she whispered. "Why don't we go into the kitchen and see if we can't rustle up a few pies for you." She laid a gentle hand on his back and steered him into the kitchen.<br>"I've never been in here at night before," he said nervously. Veronica stepped past him and flashed him a smile.  
>"There's a lot of things you've never done in here before," she replied with a wink. "Lucky you know a girl on the inside."<br>"I just feel so.. bad," he continued. "Is this wrong? I feel like we're doing something wrong. Maybe I should-" He was cut off as Veronica pressed a finger to his lips.  
>"Calm down," she said quietly. "It's not wrong. It's all perfectly fine."<br>"Are you sure?"  
>"I promise." He let out a sigh of relief.<br>"Ok then. So where are these pies you promised me?"  
>"All in good time, Spencer," Veronica replied, snaking her arms around his neck. "All in good time..."<br>_This is it, Spencer, _he thought. _It's what you've been waiting for. All this time you've spent getting to know her, and now, finally-  
><em>And then his eyes opened and he woke up.

"Aghfrfksthl!"  
>Carly jumped at the sound of Spencer's voice and rubbed her tired eyes. Spencer's eyes were wide and he had a look of panic on his face.<br>"Spencer! You're awake!" Carly said excitedly. His eyes flicked to her and relief washed over him.  
>"Whgnnaly?" he asked desperately. Carly stood up quickly.<br>"Uh, Spencer, they said you'd be kinda... off when you woke up, just wait here, I'll go and get someone!" Pausing briefly to kiss his forehead, Carly opened the door and made her way quickly out of the room in search of a doctor, leaving Spencer on his own.  
>"Whtefk!"<p>

Lewbert drummed his fingers on the front desk irritably and glared at the footprints across his floor. He tried so hard to keep everything clean, and then some stupid little teenager tracked mud into the lobby when he wasn't looking and ruined all his hard work. Life as a doorman would be so much easier if he didn't have to deal with people all the time. He growled and turned his head at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Well great.  
>"Where are you going?" he snapped as Freddie Benson came into view. The boy shrugged, not bothering to look at the angry doorman.<br>"Out. I dunno," he replied. Lewbert growled again.  
>"Well, you'd better not mess up my floor when you come back!" he snapped as the boy left the building. "I'm watching you, Benson!"<p>

Trina Vega stopped as the sound of music reached her ears. Odd. She was definitely alone in the house - her parents were on a week's vacation, and Tori was out with her new boyfriend. She frowned and reached into her pocket. No, it wasn't her phone ringing. It was _never_ her phone ringing. Perturbed, she tilted her head and tried to locate the noise. Hmm. It seemed to be coming from the couch. She moved closer and shifted a cushion to reveal a PearPhone stuck down the back of the couch. She reached in and picked it up.  
><strong>Carly S. calling.<br>**Who the hell was Carly S? She was pretty sure Tori didn't know any Carlys. She frowned again and answered the call, pressing the phone to her ear.  
>"<em>Stephen, it's me! Spencer's awake! He's a bit confused and still having trouble moving properly but the doctors say that's normal and-<em>"  
>"Um, Stephen's not here," Trina said, cutting into the excited babble coming down the phone. "He must have dropped his phone here by accident when he went out."<br>"_Oh. Do you know when he's gonna be back?_"  
>"No idea. Tori planned out a big night for them, so it could be hours until they finish up."<br>"_...Tori?_"  
>"My sister. Haven't you heard about her? They're really into each other, I thought he would've mentioned her."<br>"_They've... what do you mean, 'into'?_"  
>"Uh, they're dating. What else would I mean." There was a long pause. "Hello? You still there?" There was a small sob.<br>"_Ok. When Stephen gets back from his little _date_, tell him that Carly called and she's... she's dumping him._" Trina's eyes widened.  
>"You're... Oh, that two-timing <em>bastard<em>!"


End file.
